Union leaders accuse hospital administrators at the 12 hospitals of trying to cut staff, wages and health care benefits for nurses.
“Our bosses are trying to reverse our gains for patient care,” Nancy Hagans, president of the New York State Nurses Association, said.
What You Need To Know
Union leaders accuse hospital administrators at the 12 hospitals of trying to cut staff, wages and health care benefits for nurses
The New York State Nurses Association is also demanding protection of health care for patients with health care costs set to rise, better staffing amid shortages and artificial intelligence safeguards
NY1 reached out to the hospitals for comment
“But we are tired of their games. And we are tired of their greed,” Aretha Morgan, board of director at large for NYSNA, said.
Darla Joiner, a registered nurse at Mount Sinai who heads the Local Bargaining Committee, says nurses can’t do their jobs if they’re not protected.
“We’re putting our lives on the line, and you don’t want us to have the same health insurance that we had before. And how are we supposed to be healthy and provide care for patients?” she said.
NYSNA is also demanding protection of health care for patients with health care costs set to rise, better staffing amid shortages and artificial intelligence safeguards.
“They refuse to agree to our proposal to protect health care services for our most vulnerable patients targeted by the Trump administration,” Hagans said.
“Since the early 2000s, four hospitals have closed in Queens. That’s four too many. These closures add stress to already overburdened hospitals,” Michelle Jones, a nurse practitioner at Flushing Medical Center and treasurer for NYSNA, said.
Safety is also a concern.
“We want all the nurses and all the staff to be safe,” Ari Moma, a registered nurse and director at large for NYSNA, said.
The union wants safety enhancements like metal detectors — particularly after a 20-year-old man entered Mount Sinai in November while menacing people with a gun for a half-mile stretch of Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Police eventually caught up with the suspect blocks from the hospital. They shot and killed him after officers say he fired first.
But NYSNA is accusing Mount Sinai of retaliating against three nurses who raised concerns about the active shooter event.
“Our safe working environment has been a big concern, and this has fallen on deaf ears, even with the near active shooter incident too,” Joiner said.
NY1 reached out to the hospitals for comment.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Mount Sinai wrote, “NYSNA has stated that ‘our healthcare system is under attack’ and “healthcare cuts will mean…less hospital funding”… yet NYSNA is demanding hospitals increase the average nurse salary by $110,000 to $272,000 per year — for 10 days of work per month.”
A spokesperson for Montefiore Medical Center accused NYSNA of demanding “totaling $1.2 billion — a 50% increase over the current contract,” as well as others that will impact patient safety.
While a spokesperson for New York Presbyterian wrote, “We continue to bargain in good faith and remain hopeful that NYSNA leadership shares our commitment to reaching a fair and reasonable contract agreement…” and “We respect and value the central role our nurses play in delivering the exceptional care NewYork-Presbyterian is known for.